I can’t even begin to explain to you exactly how I feel about Ireland. It is SUCH a beautiful place. The countryside is incredible, the coastline is breathtaking, the food reminds me of home, and the people are amazing. 

Having spent 11 days in Italy (in +30 degree heat & humidity), 5 days in Barcelona (again, +30 degree heat & humidity), 3 days in Lisbon (heat & humidity) and finally 3 days in Madrid (hot hot hot…yet again) I needed cool weather. I needed long pants, sweaters, rain and no more heat. While it made no sense for me to fly all the way north to Ireland, just to come back down to Munich, I didn’t care. I wanted to be cold. Besides that, this was my first time being completely solo since I left Canada. I wanted to be in a country where people spoke English. I certainly DID NOT regret my decision.

DUBLIN

Upon arriving in Dublin, I made it to my hostel and has about 45 mins to kill before I could check into my room. I headed for Grafton Street to find a SIM card and grab a bite to eat. One thing to know about Dublin, there are musicians playing everywh

ere. It seemed like everywhere I turned, there were people playing or singing on the street. It was beautiful.

Now, I didn’t know what to expect when I got to my hostel in Dublin. I’m an outgoing person, but I had this fear that I wouldn’t meet anyone and would be stuck wandering around Dublin by myself. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After returning to my hostel to check in, I quickly met Christine from Florida, Kassie from Winnipeg, and Katie from Colorado. All being solo travelers we quickly became friends and headed out to the Temple Bar District to have a couple drinks. We didn’t have to walk far before you could hear the sound of typical Irish music coming from a few pubs. It’s like they’re trying to call you to come inside. We chose one, managed to find a table and sat for a good couple hours. Just drinking, chatting and getting lost in the atmosphere. We quickly decided that all four of us we going to go on the pub crawl that our hostel recommended. So we had a quick bite to eat to head back to the hostel to change and get ready!

What a great night! Met tons of people from all over..drank a bit (some more then others ;)) and had a bunch of laughs. 

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The following day was a slow start. Christine and I wandered around the area surrounding our hostel, and on recommendation from the guy at reception, headed for a free burger at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Unfortunately, Christine wasn’t feeling that great and headed back to the hostel to relax and I ventured out to do the free walking tour. This has turned into one of my favorite activities in a new city. It was great! 

Following my tour, I headed back to the hostel to fold some laundry and relax for a bit. I later met up with Christine and Kassie for dinner before calling it a night. I caught a nasty cold as soon as I got to Dublin, and we were visiting the Cliffs of Moher the next day, which meant a VERY early morning.

Cliffs of Moher

First let me say, that if you are in Dublin, visiting the Cliffs of Moher should be one of the first things on your to-do list. Not only did we get to see the Cliffs, but we were taken to Galway, a small village on the coast with a lot of history. It was stunning, as were the Cliffs. 

BELFAST

The next day I took the bus to Belfast, Northern Ireland’s capital city. This is also the place where years of conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants took place. This is conflict that’s still going on. Not on the same scale, but you can still see and feel it on the west side of the city. 

The following day, I took a Black Cab Tour with a few people from my hostel. This was a one hour tour where a local driver (his name was Red) drove us around the West side of the city, and talked about Belfast’s tragic history. Red, who grew up during the conflict said that unfortunately, you just got used to hearing bombs go off. That you would see friends one day, and they would be gone the next. When he was 16, he and his parents moved to Australia to stay safe, but he quickly moved back at the age of 18. We drove by the Peace Wall, and I even signed it! We also drove through both the Catholic and Protestant communities. It was an eerie, but really good tour. I would recommend everyone take this tour when you’re in Belfast.

You can’t go to Belfast and not visit the Giant’s Causeway, so the next day I went on a tour that visited the Causeway, the Carrick Rope Bridge and the Dark Hedges. For all your Game of Thrones fans, you might recognize the Dark Hedges from Season 2.

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Ireland was amazing (great craich as the locals say), and I didn’t spend nearly enough time here. I may have caught a cold when I arrived, but that won’t stop me from visiting again very VERY soon. There is still so much for me to see and experience here in the land of 40 shades of green!

Now I’m off to Munich to spend 10 days driving through Germay, Austria and Switzerland with my Mom!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

-A<3

It’s hard to compare Madrid to Barcelona, because as you know, Barcelona and I had a sweet sweet love affair. However, the only thing that Barcelona and Madrid share is the heat. And even then, it’s not quite the same. Barcelona was very hot and very humid as it was close to the coast. With Madrid being more inland, you still get the heat, but not the humidity. So it was a little more tolerable. The shade actually cooled you off, whereas in Barcleona, you were still sweating standing in the shade.

When we arrived in Madrid, we had to figure out yet another transit system! (I think I’m up to 13 so far!) And Madrid has the second largest underground system, next to London. Surprisingly enough, it’s incredibly easy! Seriously, Edmonton needs to take notes. We have 1 line and it causes problems. Madrid has over 10 lines…common YEG!

After tackling the underground, we easily found our hostel (OK Madrid – definitely recommend!) and headed to check in. Our initial experience here was vastly better than that of Lisbon. We really felt like the staff wanted to help us and answer any and all questions we had. We were even told about the dinner they have every night for 10 euros and a pub crawl to follow. If you combine the dinner and pub crawl you only paid 25 euro, when entry to the final club itself was 20 euro. Caylie and I wanted to meet people at our hostel so we figured this would be a good thing to do…so we signed up! 

We had a few hours to kill before dinner, so we decided to walk around the neighbourhood and get our bearings. Our hostel was perfectly located in the city centre and all the main sights were easily accessible by walking. We headed to Plaza Mayor and did a little shopping before heading back to the hostel to nap and freshen up for dinner and a night on the town! Needless to say, we had a blast! We met quite a few people and were out until 6 am! It was such a fun night!

Day 1

Once again, Caylie and I met up for the Sandemann’s New Europe free walking tour of Madrid. And once again, it didn’t disappoint! Our tour guide Joaquin was so passionate about Madrid and it’s history. He was also quite funny and did a very good job of keeping us all engaged. On our break Joaquin told us about some other tours that Sandemann’s offers, including a Tapas Experience, followed by a Flamenco Show. Seeing a Flamenco show was high on my list for Madrid, as I didn’t get to see one in Barcelona, and Madrid is know for their flamenco. This seemed like a great idea, so we booked it for that night. We were not disappointed. Something about flamenco is so intense and beautiful. It’s so hard to describe, but I really enjoyed it!

Day 2

For our last day in Madrid, and Caylie’s last day with me, we decided to explore a few other parts of Madrid, that came highly recommended on Trip Advisor. First we went to Circulo de Bellas Artes which has a rooftop patio and great views of all of Madrid. Then we saw the Temple de Debod, which is the remains of an Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid. Next on the list was Parque de El Retiro which has a massive fountain that you can rent little row boats and paddle around, and finally we visited the Crystal Palace in Retiro Park. It was a day filled with lots of eat, and even more walking. I swear I will have calves of steel after this trip.

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After our trek through the city it was time to head back to the hostel to relax (aka nap) before getting ready for our last dinner in Madrid and Caylie’s last dinner on her trip. Tonight was the night we would head out to find some salsa as well!

My 2 weeks traveling with Caylie was an experience I’ll never forget! I love that girl, and can’t wait for our next international trip together!

Now, I’m off to escape the heat and visit the land of green grass, rain, leprechauns and Guiness! You guessed it…IRELAND!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

A<3

I know I’ve been really sporadic in posting but I’m just on the go everyday and sometimes don’t get back to my room until late. So I apologize folks, I’ll try to do better!

But, let me tell you about beautiful Lisboa…

When Caylie and I started planning what where we wanted to go while she was here, I pretty much gave the reins to her. You all know me, I’ll go anywhere! She had said she really wanted to go to Portugal, Spain or Italy. Now, one week is definitely not enough time to see 3 additional cities on top of the 2 we already visited, so we narrowed it down to Portugal and Spain. I had already been to Barcelona, so I wanted to ensure we went to another Spanish city. Caylie chose Madrid, so that was easily settled.

When we arrived in Lisbon, I was hot hot HOT and of course, being on the coast, it was humid as well. Caylie and I easily made our way to the hostel following the directions we were given. I didn’t do a lot of research about Lisbon before arriving, so I wasn’t aware that Lisbon is also called “the city with 7 hills”. We had to trek up a hill (that felt like a mountain) to get to our hostel. Needless to say, I was sweating buckets by the time we got there.

This was both mine and Caylie’s first hostel experience, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but this hostel was highly rated on TripAdvisor. Overall, it wasn’t too bad! Besides the lack of AC, it was a pretty decent place to stay. Shortly after checking in, getting settled and changing, we headed to the common area for a sangria tasting and to meet some other people. Then it was time to get some food! One thing I’ve learned about Caylie, DO NOT let her get hangry and we were on the verge at this point. On recommendation from a guy we met at the sangria tasting, we went to the Time Out Market, which was just a short walk from our hostel. We weren’t disappointed. It was like a higher end food court, but still pretty tasty! I had Pad Thai and Caylie settled on BBQ Chicken and Chips!

Then it was back to the room to sleep as we had to be up early for a tour the following morning. 

Day 1

Our first full day was spent on a tour to Sintra & Pena Palace. A friend of mine who visited Portugal not too long ago said that this was a place I needed to go if I was in Lisbon. She said it was like walking into a fairytale. And, it did not disappoint. Pena Palace was stunning.

Following the palace, we headed to the western most point in Europe, which is the closest I’ve been and will be to home until October.

When we got back to the hostel after our tour, we freshened up to explore a bit more. We attempted to visit Sao Jorge Castle, but by the time we made it to the top it was closed. We were quite unimpressed. But the walk up, although a work out, was still quite gorgeous, especially when we managed to catch a bit of the sunset.

Day 2

Our second day in Lisbon was August 10, and CAYLIE’S BIRTHDAY! Caylie decided prior to our trip that she wanted to do a tour to the Berlengas Grande Island for her birthday, and I was definitely on board. Little did I know how rocky the Atlantic would be on the 45 minute boat ride to the island. Needless to say, my life flashed before my eyes, and I got seasick…3 times. I’m not kidding when I say I was certain the boat was going to capsize. Caylie even screamed at one point holding on for dear life to the side railing on the boat. Once we arrived and my stomach had settled, we hiked to the top of the island, and the view was well worth the crappy boat ride. Stunning views!

After returning from our trip on the island, we got dressed and headed out for dinner to Cay’s birthday and attempted to find some salsa dancing. Unfortunately being a Wednesday night, all the Latin clubs were closed. We would have to try and find a club in Madrid instead. 

Looking back on our days in Lisbon, we wished we would have either stayed longer, or not booked tours for the 2 days we were there. We didn’t really get to see any of the city as we were gone for both days. As I have said for many of the places I’ve been, just means I’ll have to go back some day. Of what we did see, it was a beautiful city!

Now we’re off to Spain (again) to visit Madrid!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

A<3

Few things come to mind when you think of Amsterdam; mostly coffee shops 😉 (not to be mistaken for a cafe. Yes, there is a substantial difference), legal prostitution, and stunning canals…amirite? There is, however, much more to this stunning city. 

First let me start by saying, everyone should visit Amsterdam at some point in their life. It’s a vibrant metropolis, easily discovered using public transit (or bikes, if you’re brave enough to test the streets with the “cyclepaths”). They have the best little pancakes you’ve ever tasted (known locally as pofferties), and a ton of history. Not to mention, one killer Pride Parade on the Canal. A sight that you would be lucky to experience if you happen to be there at the same time. 

We stayed outside the city centre in an AirBnB, which was about a 20 min bus ride to all the action. It was a nice room, tight for 3 people, especially Caylie who was stuck in the cupboard bed (like Harry Potter) 😂, but we made the most of it, and had a good few laughs about it too. We arrived around 8 pm, and desperately needed to find something to eat. Luckily, the Amsterdam Kookt Festival was going on! This would be equivalent to Taste of Edmonton back home. One of my all time favorite Edmonton Festivals, so I’m glad I got something similar abroad as I missed this year’s T of E! 

Day 1

As we have in most cities, we did the free walking tour on our first day with the Sandemans NEW Europe company. I have yet to be disappointed with this company. Our tour guide, Bas, was great. Not only did he know a lot about Amsterdam, but he went out of his way to get to know the people on his tour. We walked through the Red Light District, saw the oldest condom shop in Europe, which has over 1400 different condoms, including windmills, elephants, and the Eiffel Tower (no, I’m not kidding…), walked along the canal belt, and finished in the heart of the city close to the Anne Frank House, or the Jordaan District.

Following the tour, we headed for lunch. I wanted some typical Dutch cuisine and settled on a stamppot. A stamppot consists of mashed potatoes and veggies, a protein (usually a meatball or sausage, I had the meatball) and gravy. It was delicious!

Those of you who know me well, know that I’m not a beer drinker. The only beer I like is the sweet stuff, like Radlers, or Fruili (which I’m told can’t be considered a beer). I know what you’re thinking, clearly I’m on the wrong continent. Europeans brew the best beer! And you’re right, but I’m trying! So, after lunch we hit up the Brouwerij ‘t IJ (windmill brewery) for a pint. I even ordered one (that Paul had to finish lol). And even though I don’t like beer, it was recommended by my girl Shay, and lots of online travel bloggers. Just cause I didn’t like the beer, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend this to others. It was a pretty cool atmosphere.

Our last item on the agenda for the day was the Anne Frank House. Every single person I talked to and blog I read about Amsterdam said this was a must see. Tickets could be purchased online, but were sold out for the next 2 months, or you could wait in the que from 3 pm – 9:30 pm, when they allow those without pre purchased tickets into the museum. Considering we couldn’t buy tickets online, this was our only option. We decided to go around dinner time, hoping that everyone would be busy getting food and the line wouldn’t be too bad. We got lucky! Only had to wait about 20 mins. This was a beautiful and eye opening experience. The conditions these people lived in for 2 years was pretty astounding. Still hard for me to wrap my head around, but I’m so glad we decided to go. 

We finished our night at the Kookt Festival again as we just didn’t  get enough of the food the night before, and Caylie had a few tokens to use up! So, so good!

Day 2

Our second day in Amsterdam was Saturday, and the day of the EuroPride Parade on the Canal. The parade was in the afternoon so we visited the floating flower markets, which is basically the place to get any souvenirs. Everything from tulip bulbs, to clogs, to key chains and magnets can be found at these markets.

After the markets we headed to the canal to reserve our spot to watch the show. We waited for a good 2.5 hours and finally the parade started. I’m glad we stuck it out as it was unlike anything I’ve seen!

The last thing on our agenda for the day was to head to the Red Light District at night, stop in at a coffee shop and see what the nightlife in Amsterdam is like. Having visited the Red Light District during the day, I was unsure as to what to expect at night. What I found were hundreds of men (and some women) walking around, perusing the various alleys with red lights. Now, I’m not overly sure how I feel about all this as it’s a completely foreign thing to me. Obviously prostitution isn’t legal in Canada, but I also needed to remember that these women chose this for themselves. Why anyone would want to is beyond me, but to each her own I suppose. It was still an interesting atmosphere and place to experience. 

Of course, we had to visit a coffee shop while visiting Amsterdam. I mean, when in Rome right? If anything, just to see what all the fuss is about. Now, if you aren’t a smoker (like myself) it’s hard to see what the big deal is, and I still don’t really get the appeal, but again, to each their own!

Day 3

Our third day was our last day in Amsterdam, and a trip to this awesome city wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the IAmsterdam sign. This was probably the busiest attraction we went to in Amsterdam. It was crawling with people…literally.

Then, because it was Paul’s last day we headed to the Heineken Experience. Even for a non-beer drinker like myself this was pretty fun!

There is something about Amsterdam..something I can’t quite put my finger on and something that draws me back. Unfortunately I didn’t get to ride bikes like I had wanted, or visit Vondel Park, so maybe that’s it, but I feel like Amsterdam is a city that has something for everyone, and I promise if you visit, you’ll enjoy it too!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

A<3

There is nothing like traveling with one of your bests…sure it tests your relationship, but it also makes for some incredible times. 

When Caylie mentioned that she was thinking of coming to Europe to visit me during my travels, I was SO excited! She decided to join Paul and I in Vienna to make the most of her time.

Vienna

What a beautiful city. So much history, architecture, food, and greenery! We did a free walking tour, went to the Prater Amusement Park, rode the giant Ferris wheel, went to Schoenbrunn Palace, the Vienna Zoo,  ate schnitzel, and drank radler. 

 Now we’re ready for Amsterdam’s shenanigans!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

A<3 

Traveling with the same person for 6 weeks straight is difficult, and Paul and I are no exception to this.

We’ve had our ups and downs, our laughs & cries, but at the end of the day, he’s still the person kissing me goodnight and telling me he loves me. 

What I’ve learned about Paul on this trip:

1. He HATES bugs.

• This is both funny, and (at times) frustrating having to be the bug killer in the relationship. He has told me he’ll “grow up” by the time he’s 30, or has kids lol.

2. He showers anywhere from 2-8 times a day. 

• And don’t even get me started if it rains or is humid outside. He’s said this only happens when he’s traveling..I have yet to verify this theory lol.

3. He’s incredibly goofy.

• Now I knew he was goofy before, but I wasn’t aware he was this goofy.

4. He doesn’t have the best memory lol.

• Or maybe he just tunes me out sometimes…either way, I’ve found myself repeating the same thing more than once. 

5. 9 times out of 10 after we eat, he’ll say his stomach hurts and he ate too much.

• This makes me giggle every single time. 

6. He makes this silly face that I hate…

• But it makes me laugh every time.

7. He’ll say or do things, just to piss me off.

• And then has me laughing seconds later.

8. Don’t say the wrong thing to him if he hasn’t had his morning coffee…

• Grumpy cat alert…for reals.

10. He remains calm in situations that would probably make most travellers (including myself) freak out.

• There have been times on this trip that my anxiety levels have risen, and Paul has remained calm every single time. We’ve missed flights, stayed at a crappy AirBnB, left passports on an airport shuttle and he’s been there to keep me from losing it every single time. 

11. He’s the happiest, and most genuinely positive person I know.

12. He almost always has a smile on his face.

I can’t believe that it’s been 6 weeks already. It’s flown by, yet Italy feels like so long ago. 

Babe, thank you for the last 6 weeks. Thank you for the laughs and for putting up with me. Thank you for understanding what this trip means to me and not once making me feel guilty for doing it. Thank you for being my rock and keeping me calm and grounded. Thank you for teaching me to go with the flow and trust that it will all work out.

And most importantly, thank  you for waking up every morning with a smile that shows me exactly how much I mean to you.

I love you Babe, and I’ll be home before you know it. 

77 days and counting… 

‘Till later..

Ciao!

A<3

Time always seems to go by faster when you spend it with people you know. Paul and I spent the last week exploring Malmö and Stockholm with his cousins, Navnit & Angad, Simarpal, Manpal, Saranda, and his Aunt & Uncle. First off, I need to start with a HUGE thank you to them for welcoming me into their homes and showing us around!

Malmö 

Paul and I took the train that crosses the famous bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö and were picked up by his cousin Simarpal. After settling in, we headed for a delicious fondue dinner with the whole family!

The next day, we ventured our with Navnit, Angad and Simarpal to explore Malmö, walk along the coast, eat falafels and literally the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, and of course, pose for a cheesy titanic photo!

The following day, Simarpal, Navnit, Paul and I road tripped it to Stockholm!

 Stockholm

Stockholm was amazing, and I could definitely see myself living there. Maybe it’s because we got lucky enough to have our own awesome personal local tour guides, but Stockholm is such a beautiful city! We saw City Hall, where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held, Gamla Stan (Old Town), we had Fika in Gamla Stam (Fika is a Swedish phrase used to describe the act of going for coffee and pastries. There is no English translation), walked around Animal Island, ate traditional Swedish meatballs, ventured to the Royal Palace, watched the changing of the guards, took a short ferry ride, had drinks on a rooftop patio and even watched and danced with the THOUSANDS of people celebrating Pride. 

 

Of what I saw of Sweden (which isn’t enough), I loved it. I was so sad to leave, which of course means, I just have to go back.

Thank you again Navnit, Angad, Simarpal, Manpal, Saranda and Mr & Mrs. Rooprai for all your hospitality, the laughs, and for taking the time to spend a week with Paul and I and make our trip to Sweden so amazing. We love you all, and we will absolutely be back again.

Next stop: VIENNA! And one of my bests is joining the adventure!

‘Till later…

Ciao!

A<3